The Dangerous Lives of Crown Jewels

Francois Clouet. Portrait of Mary Stuart. c. 1555-59, crayon on paper. National Ossoliński Institute, Wrocław

On June 15, 1530 Francis I donated, to the State, 8 pieces of jewelry- total value= 3,675,267f. More jewels were added over time including a donation by Francis II. His wife Mary Stuart was said to have been the first beautiful French Queen to wear the crown jewels "for Eleonore of Austria had high cheek bones and a protruding chin, and Catherine de Medici had thick lips."

Well Catharine had worn the jewels, she also used them as business collateral and some of her letters between herself and her cousin apparently could be mistaken for letters between a borrower and lender! Her daughter in law Elisabeth of Austria has a portrait in the Louvre where she is ''decked out'' in the crown jewels. And why not!

It was then at the end of the century when Henry IV came to power that ''the royal domain of France was alienated, the treasury empty, and the crown jewels were lost forever."

To be continued….